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Mom Issues Warning After Son Takes Ibuprofen (Photos)

A mother issued a warning to parents after her son was given ibuprofen to treat chickenpox -- causing him to have a disturbing reaction.

Hayley Lyons took to Facebook to share photos of the reaction her son, Lewis, had to the anti-inflammatory drug, which happened after doctors prescribed him children's ibuprofen.

"This type of medicine is an anti inflammatory, it reacts with chicken pox making them go deeper into the skin tissue. It was only when we took Lewis to Alder Hey because the doctors from our hospital kept sending him home saying it was ‘just chicken pox’ we found this out. He ended up with septicaemia and was admitted straight to Alder Hey as soon as we arrived there," she wrote in her post.

"Only because we persevered [and] took Lewis to a children’s hospital ... was he ok. This could have ended up so much worse if it wasn’t for those doctors at Alder Hey and their advice, care and knowledge."

Lyons said that the website for the brand of ibuprofen her son took stated that it wasn't safe for chickenpox, but she ultimately trusted her son's doctors.

"But when our doctors prescribe it, who are we to question it??" she wrote.

Some websites, including Medline Plus, specifically outline the dangers of using ibuprofen to treat chickenpox.

"Do NOT give aspirin or ibuprofen to someone who may have chickenpox. Use of aspirin has been associated with a serious condition called Reyes syndrome. Ibuprofen has been associated with more severe secondary infections," the site stated, Manchester Evening News reported.

After the terrifying incident, Lyons spoke about her son's condition in an interview with the Manchester Evening News.

"Lewis is fine now. It happened 10 months ago but he still has the scars," she told the site. "My friend’s daughter has chickenpox so when I saw that it was going round again I decided to share these photos of Lewis among family and friends. I didn’t expect the response to be as big as this. "I didn’t share the pictures at the time it happened because it was just so horrific. Parents need to be aware that this can happen."

Many readers expressed their thoughts regarding the mother's experience.

"Thank you for your posting. Glad your son is on the road to recovery," one reader commented on the site's Facebook page.

"Doctors should know what to prescribe," another wrote.

"This is why we require children to have the immunization for chicken pox," another added.